Perks of CECs, ECs remain unchanged
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 26: The Ladakh administration today doubled the remunerations of the Councillors of Leh and Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Councils from Rs 60,000 to Rs 1.20 lakh per month saying this will strengthen the grassroots democracy. However, the remunerations of Chairpersons and Executive Councillors of the twin Councils remained unchanged.
An order to this effect was issued today by the General Administration Department.
Fifty Councillors—25 each in Leh and Kargil–will benefit from the Government decision.
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC), Leh and Kargil have 26 elected Councillors each while the administration nominates four Councillors each to the twin Councils taking total numbers to 30 each.
Out of 30 Councillors, one is Chief Executive Councillor (CEC)-cum-Chairman of the Council while four others are nominated as the Executive Councillors, who enjoy rank of Ministers.
Official sources told the Excelsior that remunerations of the CEC-cum-Chairman of both the Autonomous Hill Development Councils will stay at Rs 1.65 lakh while that of Executive Councillors will remain unchanged at Rs 1.60 lakh.
However, remunerations of all 50 Councillors (42 of them elected and eight nominated) have been doubled from Rs 60,000 per month to Rs 1.20 lakh as per an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) of Ladakh.
“As a step towards strengthening the grassroots democracy, the Union Territory Administration of Ladakh on the occasion of Constitution Day 2022 today doubled the total remuneration to Councillors of LAHDC Leh and LAHDC Kargil from Rs 60,000 to Rs 1,20,000.
“UT Administration issued a notification in this regard today after recommendations of Dr Pawan Kotwal’s Committee,” tweets by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) Leh, said.
Another tweet by the DIPR Leh said the Councillors of LAHDCs of Leh and Kargil shall be getting additional monthly Constituency Allowance of Rs 40,000, office/telephone allowance at Rs 10,000 and Medical Allowance of Rs 10,000. So far, they were getting Rs 60,000 only as salary.
While mentioning increase in remunerations of the Councillors of Leh and Kargil Hill Councils, the General Administration Department of Ladakh order said the salary and allowances of Chairman/CEC and Executive Councillors shall continue to be governed in terms of Government order of 2017 issued by then Ladakh Affairs Department of Jammu and Kashmir i.e. they will remain unchanged.
Increase in remunerations was long pending demand of the Councillors of Leh and Kargil.
Besides, they have also been demanding issuance of Warrant of Precedence.
Talking to the Excelsior, one of the Councillors of LAHDC Leh Tsering Namgayal said the Councillors had been demanding increase in remunerations for quite a long time and expressed thanks to the administration for conceding the demand.
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